2 - 3 years understanding the world

Between 2 and 3 years, your child will begin to be curious about the world around him and how he fits into it. As he doesn’t have the ability to understand anything bigger than his direct experience, he may find it confusing and even a little worrying. What he can’t work out on his own by asking you a million questions, he’ll fill in with his imagination – which is why a three-year-old’s world can be a weird and wonderful place!

Developmental milestones include:

By 2 years:

• he still thinks that his parents know what he’s thinking.
• he can easily mix up reality and fantasy, so his imagination can frighten him
• he thinks that everything he sees is real, so in his mind, what happens on TV actually happens
• he thinks that objects can think and have feelings just as he does

By 3 years:

• he thinks that everyone experiences the same emotions as he does so he has trouble seeing things from another’s point of view
• he’s beginning to understand that he is a separate person
• he doesn’t think in shades of grey – you’re either good or bad; you can’t be a little bit of both

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This article was written by Ella Walsh for Kidspot. Sources include SA Government’s Parenting and Child Health, Raising Children Network and Vic. Govt’s Better Health Channel